April 30, 2012

Review: Dearly, Departed by Lia Habel

Dearly, Departed (Gone With The Respiration #1)
Author: Lia Habel
Publisher: Del Rey
Publication Date: October 18, 2011
Pages: 470
Source: Hardcover/Own

Love can never die.

Love conquers all, so they say. But can Cupid’s arrow pierce the hearts of the living and the dead—or rather, the undead? Can a proper young Victorian lady find true love in the arms of a dashing zombie?

The year is 2195. The place is New Victoria—a high-tech nation modeled on the manners, mores, and fashions of an antique era. A teenager in high society, Nora Dearly is far more interested in military history and her country’s political unrest than in tea parties and debutante balls. But after her beloved parents die, Nora is left at the mercy of her domineering aunt, a social-climbing spendthrift who has squandered the family fortune and now plans to marry her niece off for money. For Nora, no fate could be more horrible—until she’s nearly kidnapped by an army of walking corpses.

But fate is just getting started with Nora. Catapulted from her world of drawing-room civility, she’s suddenly gunning down ravenous zombies alongside mysterious black-clad commandos and confronting “The Laz,” a fatal virus that raises the dead—and hell along with them. Hardly ideal circumstances. Then Nora meets Bram Griswold, a young soldier who is brave, handsome, noble . . . and dead. But as is the case with the rest of his special undead unit, luck and modern science have enabled Bram to hold on to his mind, his manners, and his body parts. And when his bond of trust with Nora turns to tenderness, there’s no turning back. Eventually, they know, the disease will win, separating the star-crossed lovers forever. But until then, beating or not, their hearts will have what they desire.

In Dearly, Departed, romance meets walking-dead thriller, spawning a madly imaginative novel of rip-roaring adventure, spine-tingling suspense, and macabre comedy that forever redefines the concept of undying love.

Review: One word... AMAZING! I cant get over how much I loved this book! This was my first Zombie novel and it's set some pretty high expectations for the others I plan on reading! I loved the different points of view from this book! It gave you a look at many different angles of the same situation and I absolutely loved getting to know a little more about each character when it was being told by them (except Wolfe, I always felt like skipping his sections (although I didn't) cuz of his attitude). I also thought this whole entire thing with how the Zombies came to be infected to become that way in the first place was interesting (especially how some people tried blaming it on one specific person). I also liked learning about the Zombies, their leaders and how they came to be on different sides and what that meant. I just found it all so interesting, especially with the secrets that just kept coming out! I could not put this book down even if I wanted to!

I have to say I loved almost all the characters! Pam and Chas and Sam!  I really loved almost all of the supporting characters! But I do have to say Bram and Nora are definitely my faves! Nora. She was stubborn when she wanted to be but she was also very strong willed! She knew what she wanted and she wouldn't let people stand in her way! And Bram!!! AHHH! He makes the undead sound awesome (most of the time)! I mean, people make Zombies out to be flesh eating monsters! And while they do crave flesh they can control that and actually seem pretty normal (minus the undead part obviously), Lol! He also showed that even the undead still have hearts! I mean he took protecting Nora so seriously! He wouldn't let anything happen to her and was always there for her when she needed him! And even though he was forced not to tell her things he even came out with those at some point even if it put him in danger! He was such a gentleman! I'm so glad he ended up ok in the end! I seriously need book two like now!!! (Please! Lol. I absolutely cant wait for it!)

5 Stars!